Vault or coffin-box.



G. F. BROWN.

VAULT 0R CO'FFIN BOX. APPLICATIQN man MAY u. ms.

1', 1 85,872. Patented June 6,1916.

GEORGE F. BROWN, OF ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA.

VAULT OR. COFFIN-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented une 6, 1916.

Application filed May 11, 1915. Serial No. 27,446.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. BROWN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Cloud, in the county of Stearns andState of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vaults or Cofiin-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is a vault or box for holding a burial casket for the purpose of protecting the latter from the action of the elements.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a receptacle which is inexpensive to manufacture, is durable, and which will eRectively exclude air and moisture from its contents.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detail description thereof, and as specified in the appending claims.

One embodiment of the invention is set forth in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that the disclosure therein made is for the purpose of illustration only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the cover. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the upper edge of the receptacle with the cover removed. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, disclosing the cover secured in position.

Referring more particularly to the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the receptacle l may be of any suitable material, such as wood or sheet metal. It is shown as constructed in rectangular form, and may be of any suitable size to inclose a coffin. The upper edge of the receptacle is preferably bent inwardly to form a horizontal flange 2, which is shown extending around the receptacle. This flange may be provided with a continuous dove-tail groove 3 in the upper surface thereof. In this groove there may be fitted a gasket 4 which may be of rubber or other suitable material. The gasket is shown provided with flanges 5 which may extend along the upper surface of the flange 2 of the receptacle. The lower portion of the gasket fits into the interior of the dove-tail groove 3 and its upper portion is shown provided with a groove (i, having substanti'ally parallel, vertical sides which extend down into the material of the gasket 4.

The flange 2 may be provided also with upwardly projecting bolts 7 which are adapted to extend through the fianges 5 of the gasket. The projecting portions of the bolts may be screw-fitted as illustrated. The cover 8 is shown provided with a depending bead 9 which is adapted to fit the groove 6 of the gasket. To each of the vertical, lateral faces of the bead 9, and spaced away from the under surface of the cover, there may be secured a resilient rib 10 which is shown projecting upwardly, and which is capable of being compressed when the bead is forced down in the groove in the gasket. When the cover is in place upon the receptacle, these ribs expand somewhat in the gasket and thereby cause the latter to bind more forcibly against the inclined lateral surfaces of the dove-tail groove 3, thereby making an air tight and water tight joint. The ribs 10 may consist of small rubber tubes, as illustrated, but any other construction may be used. It will be observed lfrom Fig. 4 of the drawings that the ribs 10 may be arranged below the inwardly projecting joints 13 of the dove-tail groove when the cover is secured in position. These ribs, therefore, serve as means to retain the cover on the receptacle irrespective of any other fastening device.

The cover 8 may Abeprovided also with apertures or passages 11 to accommodate the projecting portions of the bolts '2'. These bolts are preferably of sufficient length to extend above the cover and receive nuts 12 to engage the threaded ends thereof and thereby retain the cover firmly in position.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the form and proportion of the parts to suit the conditions in which the invention may be employed, and the right is reserved to make such changes in the details of construction herein illustrated and described, as may fairly fall within the scope of the appending claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination, with a receptacle of the character described, having a dove-tail groove in its upper edge, of a gasket fitted in said groove in the receptacle and having a groove therein with substantially parallel sides, a cover for said receptacle, said cover having a bead fitting the groove in the gasket, and means for fastening the cover on the receptacle. f

2. rlhe combination, with a receptacle of the character describedhaving a dove-tail groove in its upper edge, of a gasket fitted in said groove, said gasket formed with a groove having straight sides and extending below the upper overhanging edges of the groove in the receptacle, a cover having a bead fitting the groove in the gasket, and lateral projecting resilient ribs on said bead located below said overhanging edge of the groove in the receptacle when the cover is in position.

3. The combination of a receptacle of the character described having a dove-tail in its Uopies of this patent may be obtained for upper edge, of a gasket fitted in said groove and having flanges extending laterally at the sides thereof, said gasket formed with a groove having straight sides and extending below the upper overhanging edges of the groove in the receptacle, a cover having a bead fitting the groove in the gasket, lateral projecting resilient ribs on said bead and located below said overhanging edge of the groove in the receptacle when the cover is in position, and means passed through the lateral flanges of the gasket for securing the cover in position on the receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

. GEORGE F. BROWN. llVitnesses J. L. JENKs, J. J. HICKS.

ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o' Patente, Washington, D. C. 

